Derry Township eNews, February 2, 2018
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Photograph provided by Doug Nicotera
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Tony Award Winning Writer/Producer Joan Rater Shares Her Personal Story on Accepting Transgender
There’s no doubt that Joan Rater is a creative and talented writer as evidenced from the ratings for
Grey’s Anatomy
, a television drama that she co-wrote for 10 seasons. Her witty personality, craftiness with words, and love for her child, created a tale for Joan to share on LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) acceptance.
Joan was the presenter at the Hershey All Things Diversity Session held at the Hershey Story Museum on January 15, 2018. Her presentation titled
Honoring the Inherent Dignity of a Human Person: A Mother’s Story,
began with Joan describing a distraught phone call to her friend after learning through a loving email from her daughter Maggie, that she was questioning her gender identity. Joan said that she was scared and thoughts ran through her mind. “What will her life be like, what about surgery, will it still be the same person I know?”
Maggie was born into a female body, attended a girl’s school, but didn’t feel like a girl, which led her to suicidal thoughts. Joan said, “It’s a burden not to be yourself.” She stated that teen transgender suicide is high.
She then lightened the mood and laughed as she described the struggle the family had in using “they”, “them”, and “theirs”, as requested by Maggie until “they” could identify with a gender. She said that her mom asked for a “grandma pass” because it was so hard to change to plural pronouns in reference to Maggie, but Joan thought that it was important to try.
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Make Plans to Come to the Friends of the Hershey Public Library's Winter Film Festival
Brave the winter weather and head to the warm and cozy Hershey Public Library to experience the Winter Film Fest. Suave, debonair, and witty in a self-deprecating way, no one did it better than Roger Moore!
The Festival will be held every Saturday in February at 2:00 p.m., at 701 Cocoa Avenue.
February 3 -
Bullseye
PG-13
February 10 -
The Spy Who Loved
Me PG
February 17 -
The Cannonball Run
PG
February 24 -
Live and Let Die
PG
Registration is not required. Snacks are provided.
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Township Meetings and Events Calendar
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Tweens and teens in grades six and up can drop in at the library for virtual reality gaming, to chill out and read, do homework, or chat with friends. No registration is required.
Open Space will be held on Tuesday, February 6 and Thursday, February 8 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
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Tweens and teens in grades six and up, bring your own games to play, or have fun with our board games at the Hershey Public Library, 701 Cocoa Avenue, Wednesday, February 7, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.
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Calling all budding junior builders, architects and engineers, ages 6 and up. Come to the library, 701 Cocoa Avenue, to play with our LEGO collection. Lego Club will be held on Wednesday, February 7, from 4:00 to 4:45 p.m.
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Friends of the Hershey Public Library
Student Film Festival
Help to spread the word about the Friends Student Film Festival! Please encourage creative students of any age to submit their work
by April 1 (no fooling).
This annual event of the arts
showcases and recognizes local student filmmakers’ talents. The festival will take place on
April 21, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. at the Hershey Public Library.
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Library and Recycling Center Hours of Operation
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Community News and Events
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The Secret Garden
Opens Hershey Area Playhouse's 2018 Season
Hershey Area Playhouse is proud to present
The Secret Garden
, a musical based on the 1911 novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett with script and lyrics by Marsha Norman and music by Lucy Simon.
Nominated for six Tony Awards and winning three, including Best Book of a Musical, the show focuses on a young girl, Mary and her journey after losing her parents to a cholera outbreak. She goes to live with an uncle who has his own memories and demons to battle. She discovers her Aunt Lily’s hidden garden and is determined to revive the beauty that once was. Surrounded by spirits from the past, who both warn and welcome her, Mary begins to peel away the layers of sadness that cover the house, the garden, and herself.
The Secret Garden runs February 8-11 and February 15-18. Thursday through Saturday performances begin at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday performances begin at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $23 for teens/adults and $20 for ages 12 and under. Tickets are available at
www.HersheyAreaPlayhouse.com
, or by calling the Playhouse's box office at 717-533-8525.
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8th Annual Ice Skating Party
Join the Hershey-Derry Township Historical Society for their 8th Annual Ice Skating Party on Friday, February 9 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Historic Hersheypark Arena.
The Hersheypark Arena celebrates its 80th anniversary this season.
Come and skate with Coco and enjoy sweet treats. Local historian Bob Shaffer, affectionately known as a "Rink Rat," will host a lecture on how the arena ice is made and how the Zamboni is used to create an ideal ice-skating surface. Guests can also participate in self-guided tours of the "Old Barn".
Tickets can be purchased in advance for $5 at the
Historical Society, or at
www.hersheyhistory.org, or for $7 at the door. The ticket price includes skate rental. Children under five skate for free. There is no charge for parking.
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WE MATTER Coalition to Hold Presentation
Understanding Self-Harm in Children and Teens
The WE MATTER Coalition is sponsoring a free community event on “Understanding Self-Harm in Children and Teens,” to help parents and caregivers understand the warning signs and risks of such physically destructive behavior as cutting, skin burning, carving, self-piercing, hair pulling and self-hitting.
The presentation will take place on Tuesday, February 13, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Hershey Middle School auditorium. Presenters Emily Tangert, MA, and Amanda Katchur, Psy.D./Licensed Psychologist, will discuss self-harm, risk factors and warning signs, how to talk to your child about self-harm, getting help, and support and treatment options.
The presentation is geared to help adults better understand the origins, risk factors, and warning signs of self-harm behaviors. Attendees will learn how to have a conversation with their child about these behaviors and how to seek help and support.
WE MATTER is an Outreach Coalition comprised of community stakeholders dedicated to suicide prevention and reducing the stigma associated with mental health needs. WE MATTER provides educational opportunities, training, and parent and youth support so that we may better connect, equip, and empower our community.
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Derry Township Newsletters
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Board of Supervisors Meeting Minutes
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If you have community news or an event that you would like to share in the township eNews, email it to jillh@derrytownship.org
Please note that listings should be related to local events and organizations. Events determined to be discriminatory, controversial, negative, or offensive to other persons or organizations, or which promote organizations engaging in such conduct will not be included.
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