Volume 18, Number 44
2014’s brightest moments in town By Charles Kreutzkamp The Berlin Citizen
Berlin featured many fascinating human interest stories in 2014. The year kicked off with Princess Leah Day, when dozens of people showed their support for 5-year-old Leah Prendergast of East Berlin. Princess Leah rode in a horse and carriage parade escorted by fire engines along Route 72 and Webster Square Road on her way to Creations Nail
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Salon for a manicure and pedicure in preparation for a trip to Disney World. Members of the public cheered and held up homemade signs – “Princess Leah!”, “Have fun in Disney!” – as the procession passed along Webster Square Road in front of the Webster Square Plaza. When a child is discovered to be sick, the natural reaction is one of sadness and anger. The Make a See 2014 / Page 4
Thursday, Januar y 1, 2015
Many firsts experienced By Charles Kreutzkamp The Berlin Citizen
2014 was a year of many firsts for Berlin – the first Hero Games, the first Berlin Fire Department Toucha-Truck, the first Tip-A-Cop fundraiser, and the first year of the Capstone Project at Berlin High School. The first annual Touch-ATruck event was held at Sage Park Aug. 16. Berlin Fire Department Chief Jim Simons said that the event held great appeal for kids, with the touch-a-truck giving them the chance to climb into poSee First / Page 9
LIONS EMBODY HOLIDAY SPIRIT
The Hero Games were held June 14 at the Berlin Fairgrounds. | Charles Kreutzkamp / The Berlin Citizen
Local singers hitting the right notes By Charles Kreutzkamp The Berlin Citizen
Members of the Berlin Lions Club gathered recently to deliver packages containing turkeys and other food items which will allow more than 40 families to prepare a complete holiday meal. Along with the food, children’s gifts were also included.
This year’s Madrigal Singers are an impressive bunch, according to director Katherine Scherer. The Madrigal Singers performed a holiday show at the Berlin-Peck Memorial Library Dec. 17, coinciding with the announcement of the winners of the gingerbread contest. Performers sang in French, Latin, Hebrew and Old English as they performed a variety of numbers, including some traditional holiday favorites such as Silver Bells. “I have to brag about these students,” Scherer said. The Madrigal Singers rehearse for only one hour every week and “they do an amazing job
for the amount of time they put in.” The Madrigal Singers draw from a talented crop of Berlin High School singers, 11 of whom were selected to participate in this year’s regional honor chorus. Madrigal singer and 2014 honor chorus member Ally Schulz said that making it into the esteemed group is “the greatest feeling in the world.” Making it into the honor chorus requires being evaluated highly by experts who test singers’ abilities by having them sing both a prepared Italian aria as well as a sight-read piece that they have never seen before. The sight-reading is sung entirely without accompaniment, See Singers / Page 13