Elizabethtown townlively.com
FEBRUARY 22, 2023
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXIV • NO 2
Friendship, fellowship and fun BY CATHY MOLITORIS
In a room at Masonic Villages in Elizabethtown, a group of boys are bonding. They’re learning the importance of friendship, the significance of ceremony and the benefits of community service.
They’re all members of DeMolay Elizabethtown, a chapter of DeMolay International. The group is open to boys ages 12 to 21, and the chapter meets on the first and third Sundays of the month. “I like doing this because it’s a brotherhood opportunity for See Friendship pg 5
The leads of “The SpongeBob Musical”
EAHS will present “The SpongeBob Musical” BY CATHY MOLITORIS
ho lives in a pineapple under the sea? It’s SpongeBob SquarePants, and he’ll be live on stage when Elizabethtown Area High School presents “The SpongeBob Musical.” The show will be performed at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 2, through Saturday, March 4, with an additional 1 p.m. performance on Saturday. Based on the cartoon, “The SpongeBob Musical” features all of the famous characters from the TV show, said Elyse Hayden, a senior who plays SpongeBob. “The show follows SpongeBob, Patrick and Sandy on a quest to save Bikini Bottom (their hometown) from destruction,” Elyse said. “It features a lot of the cartoon characters you know, but it humanizes them. It’s been challenging to take on this huge character and put my own spin on it. I wanted to include the cartoon essence of this character
“It’s impossible to walk away from this show without feeling good.” Brendan said audiences can expect to be treated to a wide variety of musical styles in the show, including classic Broadway tunes, rock, country, gospel and more. The songs are written by well-known musicians, including Sara Bareilles, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Panic! At The Disco, They Might Be Giants and the Plain White T’s. “There are so many fun songs to keep audiences of all ages
engaged,” said Grayson Marz, a freshman who portrays Sandy Cheeks. “There’s also a lot of good morals and lessons in this show, but they are delivered in a way that’s fun and entertaining. It’s a bright, colorful set with vibrant songs and characters.” Scott Creason, a sophomore who plays Sheldon J. Plankton, agreed, adding, “It’s impossible to walk away from this show without feeling good.” Although the show is fun and light-hearted, it also includes some important messages, Grayson said, noting that her character, a squirrel from Texas who’s into science, represents one of the show’s themes. “She’s not like everybody else in Bikini Bottom, so people will be able to relate to that feeling of being left out or not fitting in,” she remarked, “ but they’ll realize they’re just as good as everyone else even if they are different.”
Members of the Elizabethtown chapter of DeMolay strategize about an upcoming event.
Gear up to make summer memories BY CATHY MOLITORIS
If you’re looking for a fun summer experience for your school-age child, look no further than GEARS summer camp. This year’s camp, Soaring Towards the Future, will run from Monday, June 5, through Wednesday, Aug. 23. Camp will be held at the GEARS Community Center, 70 S. Poplar St., Elizabethtown, for preschoolers and kindergartners, and it will run at East High Street Elementary School, 800 E. High St., for students in grades one through five. Camp will run weekdays from
6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. “Our theme this year is transportation and careers,” said Wendy Musser, director of the GEARS Kids Center. “Every week, we’re going to be learning about different careers and everything that goes into that career, like the trucks and vehicles driven by different professions.” Weeks will focus on ambulance drivers, construction workers, farmers, airplane pilots and even astronauts, she said. GEARS has been offering summer camp since 1989, Musser stated, noting that the program fills a See GEARS pg 2 R091536
See SpongeBob pg 3
Let us show you the difference a caring neighbor can make. Rothermel-Finkenbinder Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc. Palmyra | 717-838-9211 Travis S. Finkenbinder, Supervisor
PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. Postage Paid Engle Printing Co
POSTMASTER: PLEASE DELIVER FEB. 22, 2023
Postal Patron
ETN
W
but also show a more human side.” Brendan Fritz, a sophomore who portrays Squidward, noted that his character is a quintessential curmudgeon. “He’s the show’s grump,” he explained, “but he also has his little moments to shine.”
Miller-Finkenbinder Funeral Home & Crematory Elizabethtown | 717-367-1543 Thomas W. Ford, Supervisor
Fager-Finkenbinder Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc. Middletown | 717-944-7413 Alana A. Ace, Supervisor