Manheim Central townlively.com
MARCH 6, 2024
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
Preparing for a life of service BY CATHY MOLITORIS
W
hen Maisie Dorwart rides the bus in Philadelphia, her traveling companion may slobber just a little bit, but he’s working very hard to be a good boy. Maisie, a 2019 graduate of Manheim Central High School, is a graduate student at Temple University, where she’s pursuing a master’s degree in speechlanguage pathology. She rides SEPTA, attends class and runs
Friendship and family in “The Wizard of Oz” BY CATHY MOLITORIS
“This is one of those shows that makes you feel good,” said director Dena McKell, describing “The Wizard of Oz.” “Everybody loves this show and how it brings that aspect of family and home together.” “The Wizard of Oz” will be performed by Encore Home School Productions at T he Junction Center, 1875 Junction Road, Manheim, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 14, through
The cast of “The Wizard of Oz”
Auditions set for “The Little Mermaid Jr.”
Maisie Dorwart and Cyprus
Canine Companions is the country’s first and largest service dog organization serving adults, children and veterans with disabilities free of charge. Maisie was paired with Cyprus in October, and he ’ ll spend 18 months with her before he returns to the Canine Companions’ northeast regional training center in Medford, N.Y., where he’ll work with professional instructors to learn commands necessary to serve a person with disabilities. “I work with Cyprus on basic
commands like ‘sit,’ ‘down’ and ‘up,’” Maisie said, noting that she takes him to puppy classes at the Philadelphia chapter of Canine Companions twice a month. When he goes to Medford, he’ll spend six to nine months learning 40-plus commands working with a professional trainer.” At the end of his training, Cyprus will be able to open and close doors, turn lights on and off, retrieve dropped items and even pull a manual wheelchair. Maisie, the daughter of Bob and Kerry Dorwart of Manheim,
BY CATHY MOLITORIS
Do you want to be part of the world under the sea? Students in grades three through 12 are invited to audition for “The Little Mermaid Jr.” The show will be presented in June by Manheim Performing Arts Community Theatre (MPACT). Auditions will be held on Saturday, March 30, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Junction Center, 1875 Junction Road, Manheim. “Participation is open to students from any school district,
as this is a community organization,” said Charito Faulkner, MPACT director and board president. Performers will sign up for an audition timeslot and should come prepared with a 30- to 60-second song and a 30- to 60-second monologue. Charito and her husband, Karl, formed MPACT after volunteering for an organization called iStage Performing Arts. “Around 2018, the owners had to dissolve the organization for personal reasons, and we approached them to take over the organization,” See “Little Mermaid” pg 2
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Saturday, March 16, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 17. Although the musical is based on the iconic movie, the directors encouraged the students to make their characters their own. “ We’re not imitating the movie,” said assistant director Jill Panyard. “We wanted to shape the characters a little differently than the movie. We are shaping Dorothy a bit more like a tomboy, like a hardworking farm girl.” The cast features about 40 students, ranging in age from See “Wizard of Oz” pg 3
“I think about what Cyprus will do for someone’s life in the future and the benefits of a service dog for someone who has signed up for one with Canine Companions.” errands with Cyprus, a 6-montho l d b l ac k L a b rad o r / g o l d e n retriever mix she’s working with through Canine Companions. As a puppy raiser, Maisie spends time helping Cyprus get comfortable in a variety of situations, preparing him for the day he becomes a full-time service dog. “I am socializing him,” Maisie said. I bring him to my classes. I bring him to class and everyone’s like, ‘Can Cyprus sit with me today?’ It’s been really cool to see everyone in my classes fully embrace him and to see my professors get so excited. If I have an exam in a class, I won’t bring him and they ’re like, ‘Where is he?’”
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