20 AUGUST 10, 2017 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
BUZZ
Teens to present history of
St. John’s United Methodist Church
BY ANTHONY GIUDICE
AGIUDICE@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
S@A_GIUDICEREPORT tudents involved in a summer
youth program at St. John’s
United Methodist Church in
Ridgewood spent nearly six weeks
researching and putting together
a documentary video project about
the history of the church that they
will present later this month.
Bernell Frank, Director of Information
Technology and Adult
Literacy at St. John’s Adult Learning
Center, has been using St. John’s
United Methodist Church’s community
center to help several high
school graduates who are enrolled
in the College Discovery Program
learn not only more about the United
Methodist church on Linden Street,
but he has been helping them develop
the skills they will need once they
reach college this fall.
“I love teaching and I love history,”
Frank said. “I want to make sure they
have fun learning, and if they can do
something like this, they can take it
with them through their lives. If they
can take a topic like this, something
from the ground up, they can do it
in college.”
The teens, Christopher Quinones,
Maryam Azeez, and Samantha Morillo,
have spent their summer days
in the library and on the internet
looking for anything they could find
on the history of the church.
Through their research the students
discovered that the church
was originally built in 1906 and was
established as a Lutheran Church
before they sold it to the United
Methodist Church.
“The Germans created this church,”
Morillo explained. “In the early
1900s there were a lot of German
immigrants, so there were a lot of
Germans living in this neighborhood
so they created this church.”
“It was underneath the Emmanuel
Church,” Azeez added. “So that is
how we found out that it was a backup
church. We went to the library
and found out that the Emmanuel
Church was voted by the community
to be brought down and that the staff
of the church transferred over to the
United Methodist Church.”
In this age of technology the teens
had to forego using the internet as
their main research tool and headed
to the library to find books about
Ridgewood’s history.
“Searching the church online was
hard because it is a small church, so
there wasn’t much on it,” Morrillo
said. “But when we went to the library
there was more.”
“Instead of looking up just the
church, we researched the neighborhood
instead,” Azeez said. “So
we found more information.”
On Aug. 17, these students will
present their finalized documentary
video on the history of St. John’s
United Methodist Church. If you
would like to attend, or if you know
anything of the history of the church,
reach out to Frank at the church located
at 1713 Linden Street.
The teens enjoyed the chance to
learn new things on their own and
develop tools they can use in the
future.
“It’s always fun to see how it
all comes together,” Frank said.
“They’re a good team.”
Photo courtesy of Bernell Frank
The teens who participated in the research project on St. John’s United
Methodist Church
JC Players '1776' still rings true
BY CLIFF KASDEN
In a stirring tribute to the founders
of the Declaration of Independence,
the JC Players very proudly
present the Tony award winning
musical “1776”. Concluding their
fi nale with a powerful “God Bless
America,” the troupe reminds us
that our country’s place in history
is a proud, ever-changing process
that is still evolving aft er 241 years.
The Auriemma family takes the
reins both onstage and off . Director
Barbara Auriemma makes the
most of a relatively small stage and
auditorium. The end result is a powerful,
productive theatrical evening.
Musical Director Frank Auriemma,
along with bassist Edward Voyer
never miss a beat for more than
two hours.
Our ever bold forefather John
Adams is played with intensity and
intelligence by Frank B. Auriemma.
He is musically challenged by Annice
Auriemma who portrays bitter, angry
congressman John Dickinson. A genuinely
fi erce musical attack by southern
slaveholders versus northern capitalists
is off ered by Austin Auriemma as
Edward Rutledge.
The Hinz family also make significant
contributions. Christine Hinz
is choreographer and actor while
Charles and Charles P. Hinz both
perform onstage. Julia Marshall
and Scott Marshall are the young
courier and Reverend Jonathan
Witherspoon, respectively. The delegate
from New York, is played with
a sweet sense of humor by Melanie
Pozarycki.
Exuberant Alicia Brosky “patriotic
Lee” sings and swaggers
as Virginian Richard Henry Lee.
Meanwhile, Christopher Brosky also
handles lighting chores. Of course,
worldly wise founding father Benjamin
Franklin is played with a clear,
clever purpose by local community
veteran Alan Perkins. Another unmistakable
American hero, Thomas
Jefferson, is Drew Harnedy who
sings with patriotic perseverance.
Mark York is humorous without
losing historical perspective.
Amy Ellis portrays long suff ering
but devoted wife Abigail Adams.
Elizabeth Grumley absolutely lights
up the stage as Martha Jeff erson.
Kudos to the entire cast and crew
including Guy Caraturo, Miriam
P. Denu, Alison Duignan, Beatrice
Miranda Holman, Richard Miller,
Dennis Popp, Jennifer Silverman,
Jillian Smith, Steve Stromberg, Alison
Goldman, Matthew Ahrens and
Jess Ronzo.
Don’t miss this warm, wonderful
production. For information on the
troupe and the current schedules
for this great musical which will be
housed in two separate venues, call
(718) 894-8654, surf to www.jcplayers.
com or “like” them on Facebook.
As always, save me a seat on the aisle.
