Youngstown Film plans cinema series

August 24, 2008 at 12:00a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown Film will begin a movie series this week entitled Wednesday Cinema. Films will be shown at 7 p.m. every Wednesday for eight consecutive weeks at the Butler North building, which is next to the Butler Institute of American Art on Wick Avenue. Admission is $5. Each film will be followed by a discussion. The schedule is: “Apart from That,” Wednesday; “Spinal Tap,” Sept. 3; “On the Beach,” Sept. 10; “Harold and Maude,” Sept. 17; “Shotgun Stories,” Sept. 24; “His Girl Friday,” Oct. 1; Warner Brothers cartoon festival, Oct. 8; and “At the Death House Door,” Oct. 15. For more information, go to youngstownfilm.org.

Game of Hope raises $5,000 for children

NILES — The inaugural Softball Game of Hope Classic, sponsored by The Hope Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, raised $5,000 so far, with money still being collected and pledged. The game, held Aug. 16 at Eastwood Field, pitted community leaders from Mahoning and Trumbull counties against each other to raise money for chronically and terminally ill children.

The Mahoning team battled the Trumbull team to an 11-11 deadlock.

Band from Croatia will play at picnic

YOUNGSTOWN — The “Voice of the Croatian Fraternal Union” radio program (11 a.m. Sundays on WNIO-AM 1390) will hold its annual benefit picnic on Aug. 31 at CFU Lodge 66 Hall, 3200 Vestal Road. Admission is $5.

The picnic will start at 1 p.m. with continuous tamburitza entertainment with the Selo Tamburitzans of Pittsburgh, and the local Od Srca Adult Tamburitzans and Happy Hearts Juniors. Special guess will be the Slavonia Band from Croatia, with vocalist Stjepan Jersek. The Slavonia Band is currently on an 18-day tour of the United States and Canada. Food will include barbecued lamb and pork. To place an order in advance, call George Dubic at (330) 799-8889 or the Croatian Home at (330) 799-0914.

Singer selected for state youth choir

CAMPBELL — Sparkle C. Thomas, daughter of Erin Thomas and Dawn and Milton Taltoan, of Campbell, was selected to sing with the 46th edition of the All-Ohio State Fair Youth Choir. Sparkle was one of 200 high school singers from Ohio who sang with the choir at the 12-day Ohio State Fair, July 30 through Aug. 10.

As a student at Campbell Memorial High School, she has participated in Courts of Praise, Praise Team and high school choir under the direction of Mrs. Hippley-Carchedi.

Founded in 1963 by Glenville D. Thomas, the Youth Choir has appeared in concert around Ohio and abroad, marched in a number of national parades, and has sung for several gubernatorial inaugurations.

After converging at the Ohio State Expo Center in Columbus July 24, choir members spent five days in rehearsals prior to the opening of the fair. Each day of the fair, the choir sang six to eight times.

Mercer County arts programs get grants

GREENVILLE, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts recently awarded four grants totaling $4,682 for programs in Mercer County, according to state Sen. Bob Robbins.

The grants include:

SBltBach Society, $633.

SBltGreenville Symphony Society, $1,519.

SBltMercer County Historical Society, $1,614.

SBltValley Lyric Opera, $916.

‘Mummies’ IMAX film opens at science center

PITTSBURGH — “Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs,” opens Friday at Carnegie Science Center’s IMAX theater.

Narrated by actor Christopher Lee, star of the original 1959 film “The Mummy,” “Secrets of the Pharoahs” unravels some of the mysteries enshrouding the royal mummies, explores how they were embalmed and where they were hidden, and recreates the story of their recovery – a tale of tomb-raiders and hidden treasure that led to one of the most significant archeological finds in modern history. Go to carnegiesciencecenter.org for more information.

Quote/unquote

“It’s always easier to leave than be left.” — Dave Matthews, on the death of his bandmate, saxophonist LeRoi Moore, 46, who died after a wreck.