VOTER

Posted on November 3, 2015 by curtsavagemedia

I VOTEWhat can every adult in America be on the first Tuesday in November?  We can all be voters except those of us who have been convicted of certain crimes and who live in states that enforce felony disenfranchisement.   The right of the populace to vote has not always been guaranteed.  For the first three quarters of a century of this young nation’s life, only white, male land owners could vote.  That excluded over 85 percent of the citizenry from participating in the democratic process.  Only the efforts and sacrifices of early civil rights leaders made the right to vote a right for all Americans.

While growing up, I had many adults tell me “If you don’t vote, you don’t have the right to complain about how things are in this country”.  I don’t think a lack of a voting history stops many people from complaining especially when those complaints pertain to politics.  That leads me to the question “If you’re unhappy with the political landscape, why don’t you exercise your powers to change it?”  Aside from revolt, the only powers the people have to affect change in this country are their voices and their votes.

In our Constitutional Republic, the representatives we elect carry our intentions, or votes, to their assemblies, either at the local, state or federal level, where they cast these votes in order to do the will of the people for whom they work.  If our elected representatives do not represent the will of the people, but instead, corrupt the vote for personal gain or for the benefit of a minority special interest group, then those “representatives” must be replaced either immediately by recall or during the next election cycle.  This is how our government remains “Of the people, by the people and for the people” in the words of President Lincoln and not “At the people, to the people and on the people” in my own words.

To ensure our elected “representatives” remain representative, first – they must be held accountable. Accountability requires supervision or “oversight”.  Second – they must be able to relate to those they represent; not as overlords, but as members of the constituent cohort; as ones who suffer or benefit from the quality and weight of the government they create.  How does a populace maintain accountability and camaraderie among those elected to represent it?  They vote to elect those who hold their views, beliefs, morals and ethics.

To that end, I came up with the acronym VOTER – “Vigilant Oversight Through Exercised Rights”.  I also took out a small loan and started a political action campaign called “Give Congress the Bird” (double entendre intended).  I established a website and a Facebook page for my little project.  I thought if a guy like me could get the attention of my elected officials, then maybe others would get involved in the oversight of their elected officials as well.  In a nutshell – the aim of Give Congress the Bird is to bring Congress (including the Senate) down to earth; closer to us whom they represent.  “The Bird” is military vernacular for a Colonel, or O-6 on the military pay scale.  Putting the U.S. Congress and Senate on the O-6 military pay scale with military medical, vacation, allowances and retirement would make them much more mortal – like us.  They might even begin to “represent” us. Wouldn’t that be amazing?  Anything is possible when you become a VOTER.

© 2015 Curt Savage Media

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Falling for Autumn

Posted on September 23, 2015 by curtsavagemedia

Leaves on Sidewalk jpegAutumn, or fall as most folks call it, is the favorite change of seasons around our house.  We don’t have central air.  After melting all summer, we can finally begin to sleep again at night and wake with energy to enjoy the cooler autumn days.  Another autumn benefit – lower humidity.  Drier air brings clearer night skies providing for excellent stargazing just in time to catch the last days of the bright stars that form the Summer Triangle; Vega in the constellation Lyra, Deneb in the constellation Cygnus, and Altair in the constellation Aquila.

In Southern California, we didn’t really celebrate autumn like folks do back here.  Maybe that’s because, for the most part, autumn felt pretty much like summer except with a couple of rainy days – maybe.  The only way we knew it wasn’t August anymore was school started again and the mall decorated for Christmas!  In the Midwest and Eastern U.S., fall is an event!  There are fall festivals at almost every church and in most of the smaller, quainter towns.  Children dress up like Wooly Bear Caterpillars or Monarch Butterflies and parade through village streets while onlookers enjoy hot apple cider and pumpkin spice flavored EVERYTHING!  (I hope the Facebook photo of pumpkin spice Doritos was a joke!)  High school football, a religion in itself, moves from the practice fields to the football stadiums full of marching bands, cheer squads and color coded fans locked in rabid rivalry.

Autumn is a time of beginnings and endings.  Chrysanthemums bloom and tomato plants die with the first frost.  The last tomatoes are picked and placed on the windowsills to ripen, the plants are yanked and cold crops are sown in their place.  Folks close their pools and open their fireplaces.  The hot rods and motorcycles go into the garage and the “winter cars” come out.  T-shirts go into storage and my beloved sweaters and plaid flannel shirts come out; yes – even my “ugly” sweater!  The Brig Niagara sheds her sails and buttons into her winter cover in Erie Harbor and the ice boats are readied.  Until our big freezer died, I had a personal fall ritual; Forbush’s apple dumplings.  Just before Forbush’s would close in September, I used to buy a dozen or so unheated dumplings with little containers of their caramel sauce and stick them in the freezer.  That way, I could ration them out all winter and keep myself from going into withdrawal!

It’s only September and I already miss chasing fireflies with my daughter.  But leaf fights, owl calling and corn mazes are just around the corner.  I’m already searching for the perfect pumpkins to carve for my “John 3:16” porch marquee this Halloween.  Fall is when I enjoy sitting with a beer back by my fire pit at staring up into Heaven. Speaking of Heaven, autumn is when many of our vacationing members return home to First Presbyterian Church and we welcome them back with our annual Chili Cook-Off.  Small group Bible studies pick-up again and we begin to plan for our awesome Christmas music!

Baseball is getting REALLY exciting.  My camera gear is ready for my autumn photography treks.  A ‘Blood Super Moon” will dazzle us over September’s last weekend and my rake is at the ready as I wait for the coming brilliant, colorful show nature has in store for us.  I believe I’m falling for autumn again!

© 2015 Curt Savage Media

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Who’s Your Hero?

Posted on September 11, 2015 by curtsavagemedia

9-11-Ice-SculptureDo you have someone you look up to as a hero? I looked up “Hero” on Merriam-Webster online. They defined a hero as a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities or a person who is just greatly admired.

Sometimes, our heroes are sports figures; players who have amazing athletic ability. They make unbelievable plays and deliver their teams from the clutches of defeat. Basketball has Michael Jordan. Baseball has Willie Mays. Football has Jim Brown. Hockey has Wayne Gretzky. Soccer has Pelé. Depending on your age or era / type of sports you follow, you probably have your own lists.

Sometimes we look up to teachers as heroes because of the impact they have on shaping our lives. Indeed, there are teachers who make extra efforts and invest huge amounts of themselves into their teaching craft. They volunteer to work with illiterate gang members and teach reading skills to prison inmates or, more radically, they place themselves in the paths of active shooters to shield their students from harm. Those teachers are indeed heroes.

People who persevere in spite of the circumstances are heroic. Parents of special needs children require superhuman measures of patience and endurance. Many of them could have aborted their imperfect children, but they bravely and faithfully chose life and all that goes with it. To me, that qualifies them as heroes.

I must also give a shout out here to my personal heroes – the volunteers who comprise our nation’s Armed Forces; The Air Force, Army, Marines and Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard (Department of Homeland Security) with whom I served.

How about our first responders? The U.S. Postal Service issued the “Heroes of 2001” “semi-postal” stamp in 2002. The “Heroes of 2001” stamp was mandated by an act of congress. The stamp bears an image of 3 NYFD Firefighters raising a flag amidst the wreckage of the World Trade Center at ground zero on 9/11/01. The stamp design is based on the famous photo by Record photographer Thomas E. Franklin of New Jersey. The stamp honors all of the heroes who responded to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In addition, as a “semi-postal” stamp, thirty-four cents of the forty-five cent face value paid for first class postage while an eleven cent surcharge attached to the price of the stamp went to a FEMA fund set up to assist families of injured or killed emergency relief personnel. These stamps can still be found for sale on the internet.

We lost hundreds of heroes on September 11, 2001 and over 1,500 more in the years since from dust exposure related health problems like cancer. Most of them didn’t consider themselves heroes. Most of them wouldn’t want to be called heroes; they were just “ordinary” people doing what needed to be done. But, when disasters strike or emergencies arise, “ordinary” people look danger in the eyes and run straight at it. It’s not that they’re super human or oblivious to fear. They live knowing the fragile nature and priceless value of life and are willing spend or give their lives to save the lives of others. So – I ask again. Who’s your hero?

© 2015 Curt Savage Media

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Stewardship

Posted on September 1, 2015 by curtsavagemedia

Stewardship LogoStewardship is more than most people think it is.  Part of stewardship does involve how you handle your money or treat the environment, but it’s about SO much more than that.  Stewardship is the act of being the responsible and faithful administrator for anything that has been given to you or entrusted to you.  It doesn’t matter if you’re the sole owner, or if you’re part of an owner’s group or if it’s a sacred trust.  We must care for the things we have whether those things be time, treasure, or talents.

Let’s start with time.  The Rolling Stones were wrong.  Time is NOT on your side.  I admit I used to watch soap operas.  “Like sand through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives”.  None of those days are guaranteed; each one is a gift.  Carpe Diem – seize the day!  This is one time when I like “The Message” translation of Romans 12:11 “Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame.”  The Complete Jewish Bible says “Don’t be lazy when there’s hard work to do.”  I like that too.  Ephesians 5:15-16 says “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”  Indeed.  If you have nothing else, then you probably have lots of time.  Give of it lavishly and use it wisely.

Treasure.  That’s a toughie.  I’ve spent a lot of time collecting a lot of treasure.  The Bible is once again correct; moth and rust are destroying most of my earthly treasure.  It’s a good thing my heart’s treasure is safe.  Matthew 6:21 says “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  If you look at my collection of stuff, you’ll know it’s true when I tell you “I came into this world with nothing, and I still have most of it left”.  I have found a more meaningful life than one based on owning things.  A study in the Journal of Positive Psychology found that people derived meaningfulness from helping others, or being a “giver”, and a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that people who led meaningful lives have stronger immune systems.  A paper published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology reported that people around the world, even those in the poorer socioeconomic classes, were happier when they were spending their resources on others.  Open your eyes, your hearts and your hands.  What is most valuable is ours without our being able to gain it, keep it, or give it away.  Share your treasure generously and use it faithfully.

Finally – talents.  Romans 12:6-8 (NLT) says “In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. EVERYONE has a talent for something; God says so!  That thing you do well is probably very valuable to someone or to an organization in need of your talents.  I’ll share these quotes to think about concerning talents; “If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.” -Thomas A. Edison.  “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me.” – Erma Bombeck.  And finally, “Your talent is God’s gift to you.  What you do with it is your gift back to God.” – Leo Buscaglia.  Believe me; I’m writing to myself here as well to you.

© 2015 Curt Savage Media

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Teachable Moments

Posted on August 26, 2015 by curtsavagemedia

WP_20140914_023The calendar tells me there are still 4 more weeks of summer.  Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out” is still playing in my head.  The mercury in the little glass tube still says “summer”.  County fairs are still in full swing all over the region.  Kids can’t possibly be ready to head back to school just yet!  However, just as surely as orange barrels and traffic cones signal the start of summer driving, today I spotted another harbinger of things to come.  I saw a school bus; route training is beginning!  Students will be returning to the public schools again soon.

I often think of my school years and the teachers I had; many great ones and a few not so great.  What’s remarkable is the amount of memories I can attribute to things learned during non-classroom interactions with teachers; formative things; things learned from leaders and mentors.  I remember far more of those lessons than the subject matter presented during classroom time.  I certainly recall some great classroom presentations (like the time Mr. Ruben rolled up his sleeve to show us the numbers tattooed on his arm while in a Nazi Death Camp), but the time spent relationship building stuck with me longer than most academic lessons.

I had five teachers (physical education, art, music, psychology and history) whom, I am sure, were collectively responsible for diverting me away from a path leading straight to prison or the grave.  These teachers took a personal interest in their students and spent huge amounts of time after school and away from school taking us to events and activities and even participating in those activities with us.  This was before there were TSS’s (Therapeutic Support Staff).  Perhaps that’s why I chose to become an education major with an emphasis on psychology and sociology.  I took as many classes as I could that dealt with understanding people and communicating with them either face to face or through writing.

I always joke that if you’re not learning something, you’d better check your pulse.  It is my opinion that education should be taking place everywhere and at all times continuously throughout a person’s lifetime.  If that be the case, we’ll encounter many teachers along that path.  I taught junior college level classes to Coast Guard recruits and to students at Lakeland Community College in Ohio.  I prefer experiential learning over textbook instruction.  I was privileged to be allowed to create my own curricula based on large amounts of live demonstration and hands-on participation by my students.  These interaction enriched learning environments reinforced and broadened my knowledge base as much as it did those of my students.

It’s for all of the above stated reasons that I love home educating our children.  Our education is highly relational, experiential, portable and perpetual.  We can experience things and learn things together.  We, as parents (or siblings), are not excluded from the educational experience.  We can also travel to learning locations where we’re able to plug in to reenactments or advanced learning platforms such as simulators or hands-on learning laboratories where we can learn alongside others from diverse sociopolitical, ethnic and cross-cultural backgrounds.

Whether public, private or home educators, we are all students and teachers and every moment can be a teachable moment.  Learning is for life so never stop!  Have a great school year!

© 2015 Curt Savage Media

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I Love a Fair!

Posted on August 22, 2015 by curtsavagemedia

Naomi and the Jersey (watermarked)Growing up in a mostly urban setting, I never experienced county fairs.  Our family made a few trips to Minnesota to visit our family homestead where I was able to see real farm animals that I had only seen pictures of previously in children’s books.  Sometimes, we took long drives out beyond the edges of Los Angeles County; out past the concrete to where the farms were.  In doing this, I learned farms existed and that our food came from farms.  I just had no idea how that worked.

We had carnivals in Los Angeles, but carnivals aren’t county fairs.  Yes, carnivals have games where you can toss ping pong balls into little fish bowls, toss rings over the necks of pop bottles or throw darts to break balloons.  If you have good aim, you can win a sandwich bag containing a goldfish and a one dollar stuffed animal all for the twenty dollars spent on the games.  Like fairs, carnivals have food you can’t find any place else.  Carnivals also have rides that will spin you and your goldfish around and around until you’re both green just like at a county fair.  But, there are usually no animals at carnivals other than goldfish and stray dogs & cats.

A circus is a little bit like a fair.  We lived close enough to the railroad tracks that when the Barnum and Bailey Circus came rolling into town, we could ride our bikes down to the tracks and watch the workers unload the animals from the train.  Not exactly the kinds of animals you find at a county fair, but they were amazing non-the-less!  The big cats were loaded into barred circus wagons that were pulled by white horses ridden by showgirls.  The elephants lined up and “hitched” truck to tail and then the entire menagerie formed into a parade and marched into town to the place where the circus would perform.  We bought popcorn and souvenirs and saw amazing shows at the circus, but the circus was still not a county fair.

When I moved to Ohio, I went to my first rural county fair.  The Great Geauga County Fair is Ohio’s oldest continuous county fair and it was quite an experience.  Going into the fair seemed to allow one to pass into a world made of a giant farm where everyone knew everyone else and everyone was celebrating something.  The mood was at once festive and industrious with children toting balloons on stings and teens tugging at ropes leading their show animals from show ring to stables and back again.  The sounds of the livestock mixed with the sounds of diesel generators powering the midway rides combined with the animal smells and the aroma of funnel cakes frying carried me into sensory euphoria!

Now that I’ve lived in rural environs for a quarter of a century, I can’t imagine not looking forward to that part of summer when the county fairs kick off.  I love the food!  My wife and I even came up with a word for it.  We hijacked the German marketing slogan for Volkswagen – “farfegnugen” (driving enjoyment) – and remade it into “fairfoodnugen” (fair food eating enjoyment)!  I love seeing the livestock and the crafts.  I love seeing the antique tractors.  I love the rides.  I love seeing everyone having fun.  I love a fair!

© 2015 Curt Savage Media

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My Midlife Non-Crisis

Posted on August 17, 2015 by curtsavagemedia

WP_20150816_003Sometimes, things happen that make a person step back and take a mental inventory.  In his song “Changes”, David Bowie sings “Oh look out you Rock n’ rollers, pretty soon now you’re gonna get older, time may change me but I can’t trace time.”  Maybe that’s part of it.   Maybe now that I can see my age posted on some interstate speed limit signs, I finally realize time is moving faster and I need to give some attention to a few things before months replace the numbers on my wall clock.

Don’t get me wrong.  This isn’t about “sour grapes” or regrets or fears.  Nor is it an exercise in self-actualization; a vain climb to the peak of Maslow’s hierarchy of self-fulfillment so-to-speak.  This midlife goal has more to do with paying attention to something that has always been with me; that has always been a part of me.  Something I can’t seem to resist every time an opportunity presents itself.  I’ve talked about diving back in, but never have.

Maybe this non crisis is also just the realization that I’m getting to that part of life where people start leaving the rest of us for “a better place” as they like to say.  I lost a couple guys this last year who were co-practitioners in my adolescent obsession.  One of them, Jay Adams – a year younger than me and one of the original members of the Z-Boys professional skateboarding team – was a mess as a result of drug abuse but still arguably the best skateboarder ever to walk the earth.  He, Stacy Peralta and Tony Alva taught me things about skateboarding while I watched them work their craft at various locations around Santa Monica, Venice and Marina Del Rey California where I grew up.  I feel bad some of my skateboarding friends are gone and I find myself missing the board under my feet.

So in an effort to reconnect with the spirit of “soul skating”, to confuse and amuse those who are still here and to blow out some cobwebs from between my ears, I got on the internet and put together a parts order to build a sweet, custom skateboard.  It’s something I’ve wanted for over 30 years but just never got around to.  If your kids skate downtown, ask them about the “skateboarding mailman” and you’ll probably find I’ve asked to check out their boards at some point.

When I tell people I’m building a custom skateboard, I receive some strange looks.  At first they assume I’m building it for one of my children.  “No. It’s for me” I tell them.  “Are you nuts?” they ask.  “You’ll kill yourself on that thing!” they assert.  Probably not.  I have a helmet and pads (things we didn’t consider when we were 14) and I’ll wear any road-rash like a badge of honor.  Some claim my desire to have a skateboard is a sign of a midlife crisis.  I’m not sure I’m at midlife and I certainly don’t feel as though I’m in any sort of crisis.  I look at skateboarding as a social networking tool; a way to connect with people.  It’s also great physical exercise.  I’m just wondering if I’ll still qualify for my senior discount if I walk into a fast food joint while carrying my skateboard?

© 2015 Curt Savage Media

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Dog Days

Posted on August 9, 2015 by curtsavagemedia

Darcy and ShadowWe’re in the “Dog Days of Summer”.  The scorching, humid days and sultry, sleepless nights are upon us.  Sirius, “The Dog Star” (Brightest star in our night sky. -1.46 magnitude, part of the constellation Canis Major or “The Greater Dog”), rises in the morning sky close to sunrise during the warmest days of late July and early August – thus – the “Dog Days”.

Homer, first and greatest of the epic Greek poets (no – not Homer, the father on “The Simpson’s) wrote in his Iliad “like to the star that cometh forth at harvest-time, and brightly do his rays shine amid the host of stars in the darkness of night, the star that men call by name the Dog of Orion.  Brightest of all is he, yet withal is he a sign of evil, and bringeth much fever upon wretched mortals.”

When I was a kid, I used to think the “Dog Days of Summer” were when all the dogs went crazy from the heat, broke loose and ran all over the neighborhood.  What REALLY happened was owners brought their dogs into their garages and homes to give them shelter from the heat.  Many times when doors were opened, the dogs would bolt and run the neighborhoods.  You really can’t blame the dogs for wanting to create some relative wind!  There are now laws against leaving dogs tied out during abusively hot or frigid weather.

I’ll bet being stuck outside, tied to a tree all night in bad weather would be pretty miserable.  I’ve been in “the dog house a few times myself”.  I know working like a dog in sweltering heat can leave me feeling “dog tired” or “sick as a dog”.  If you get enough seniority at work, you eventually get to be “top dog”.  This might even mean you get to work in an air conditioned space which would make you a “lucky dog”.  Frankly though, I feel like a lucky dog much of the time even without cold air.

The 2014 3-D computer animated movie “Mr. Peabody and Sherman” recreates the classic cartoon from the 1960’s.   Sherman was a brilliant dog who was also a scientist and Sherman was his apprentice and also his pet.  In the Dreamworks 2014 movie, Sherman is Mr. Peabody’s adopted son.  A brilliant moment in the movie comes when a case worker from Child Services says “A dog is unfit to raise a boy!”.  At this point, Sherman lists all Mr. Peabody’s good qualities and then proclaims “I’m a dog too” followed by various historical characters proclaiming they are also “dogs”.  I wonder if Sherman’s faithfulness made him the “Alpha Dog?”

There are Biblical references to dogs.  Matthew 7:6 says “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs.  If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”  It sounds like God doesn’t love dogs!  But, if I’m dog too like Sherman, I still want to be loved and accepted.  Good thing for us “dog’s” there’s Matthew 15:26-28 “And He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she said, “Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”  Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish.”  And her daughter was healed at once.”  As they say ”Every dog has its day”.

© 2015 Curt Savage Media

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Walking to Emmaus

Posted on July 26, 2015 by curtsavagemedia

Walking to EmmausThere’s a small town in Pennsylvania named Emmaus.  The town has just over 11,000 people living in just under 3 square miles.  Emmaus is home to Rodale – the publishers of Organic Gardening magazine and many other fine magazines and books.  Emmaus is about 9 miles, or about a 4 hour walk, from Bethlehem, PA.  Traveling around Pennsylvania, you can find many towns named after places found in the Bible such as Emmaus, Bethlehem and Nazareth.

Pennsylvania’s Emmaus draws its name from the 24th chapter of the Bible’s Gospel of Luke.  Two of Jesus disciples have just left Jerusalem after the crucifixion of Jesus.  They probably decided it was a good time to get out of the city before widespread persecution of Jesus’ followers commenced.  They’re walking on the road to Emmaus.  The tone at the beginning of the chapter is one of disappointment.  They had hoped Jesus was the coming King who would rescue the Jews from the oppression of their enemies.  Now the deliverer they had hoped for was dead and they were probably wanted fugitives.  If they had businesses, those assets had probably been seized and even the safety of their families could be at risk.  These men were full of worry and unsure of their futures when a stranger joined them on their walk.  Not recognizing the man, they continued with their kvetching.   The stranger turned out to be Jesus.

Bible scholars disagree on exactly where Emmaus was, but we do know it was within easy walking distance from Jerusalem; the most likely distance is between 6 to 10 miles.  There is no city by this name anywhere near Jerusalem today, although the geographic area is probably just outside the modern day city limits.  Thinking about this, I wonder if maybe “the road to Emmaus” should be regarded as more a state of mind than a place.  Despite all the time spent hearing Jesus’ teachings and receiving His promises, the disciples forgot all of that and instead chose to focus on their own doubts and fears as they walked along the road.  They were so self focused they didn’t recognize their teacher walking alongside them.  Imagine how ridiculous they must have felt when they finally realized who their traveling companion was; they even acknowledged their hearts were burning the entire time they were with him!

Do you ever find yourself “walking to Emmaus”?  We sometimes focus on and worry about what our eyes can see and we forget to lean on what our heart knows.  It’s in times like these we need to remember some key scriptures.  Psalm 77 verses 1-2 “I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me.  When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands, and I would not be comforted.” and verses 13-15 “Your ways, God, are holy.  What god is as great as our God?  You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.  With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.”  In Genesis 18:14, God asks Abraham “Is there anything too hard for God?”  Of course the answer is “No”.  When you find yourself on that “road to Emmaus”, remember God’s words to Joshua “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9.  Wherever you walk, you are never walking only for yourself, and you never walk alone!

© 2015 Curt Savage Media

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Exploding With the Arts

Posted on July 9, 2015 by curtsavagemedia

Arts and FireworksNew Castle will be exploding with the arts from 4pm to 10pm this Friday and Saturday, July 10th and 11th when the city hosts the New Castle Fireworks Festival featuring Arts on the Riverwalk.  This is the second year the two festivals will be presented simultaneously as a joint effort between the Lawrence County Tourism Promotion Agency and the Hoyt Center for the Arts. Staged in the heart of downtown, this event has something for everyone to enjoy!

There is a children’s area with activities that include face painting, mask and jewelry crafting, puppet making and tie-dye.  Kids and adults alike can literally paint the streets Friday afternoon with paint and stencils provided by festival staff.  Kids ages 3-12 can compete for prizes in a sidewalk chalk drawing contest on Saturday from 4-6pm.  Lowe’s is sponsoring an “Anything That Floats” competition in which participants (adult and child categories) build floating models from recycled materials and then float them down the Neshannock Creek.  And speaking of floating, you won’t want to miss the traditional American Cancer Society “Rubber Ducky Derby” on Saturday, July 11th at 7:00pm.

There will be music from three stages including several bands performing Friday evening at the Riverwalk Amphitheater for the Wounded Warrior benefit concert.  Street performers, including musicians, story tellers, jugglers and some characters the kids will definitely recognize, will provide entertainment on both days at various locations around the festival.  Danny Neff will bring his “Bubble Wagon” to give festival goers the opportunity to create giant soap bubbles – this was a BIG hit last year!

The Artists Market is where you can shop for quality fine art and craft items of a wide variety and see art demonstrations by artist from all over our region and beyond.  The Hoyt Center for the Arts will be holding a juried arts competition and PureJoy Studio will be operating their Star Wars themed photo booth with special appearances by R2D2 both days.  First Presbyterian Church (at the corner of Jefferson and State Streets) is continuing their outdoor summer movie series with the free showing of “Star Wars Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back” at dusk in the parking lot behind the church (or in the fellowship hall in case of rain).  Bring a chair and enjoy activities before the movie and free movie snacks.

There will also be tours of New Castle’s North Hill Historic District and the Lawrence County Historical Society will be hosting their annual Ice Cream Social with children’s activities and free ice cream.  The Historical Society will also be opening their Underground Railroad Exhibit the evening of July 11th.  The Society lawn has always been one of our family’s favorite places from which to watch the spectacular fireworks launched over downtown at around 10pm on Saturday night.  This year we get fireworks Friday evening also!  I’ll be working downtown helping out with the festival and checking in at my favorite café, Two Rivers Artisan Coffee Works in the Riverplex.  The view of the fireworks is pretty good from there as well.  After the last ka-booms, stop by the Riverplex Saturday night for the “After Party” and say hello!

© 2015 Curt Savage Media

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