Thursday, August 23, 2007

Richland Park Horse Trials

This weekend we have an amazing opportunity to see some of the country's top horseback riders perform their art and sport right here in Richland, at the Richland Park Horse Trials.

Whether you love horses or you know nothing at all about them, you'll enjoy watching this weekend's competitions, including dressage (formal riding in a ring), show jumping (jumping in a ring), and cross country (dramatic jumps on a course that takes horses and riders through woods and fields, over water and obstacles).

The events run all this weekend, through August 26. Admission is free and parking is $5 a day. Parking fees are being donated to the Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center in Augusta, which provides riding experiences for special-needs children and adults.

Richland Park is a hidden gem in our community. If you haven't seen it before, you'll be astonished to find an international-level horse park right in Richland. From the Richland traffic light, go north 1.1 mile, turn left on M-89 (west towards Plainwell) go 1.1 miles, turn left (south) on 30th Street. The Richland Park driveway is 3/10 mile on the right (west).

While you're enjoying those magnificent horses and fantastic riders, keep an eye out for those intrepid Richland arts and sports supporters, Jack and Marcia Sizer. They do the official photography for the event, and Marcia decorates the courses with gorgeous flower and plant arrangements.

For more info and a detailed schedule of events, go to: http://www.richlandpark.com/index.html

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Richland Area Community Center events galore

Have you had a chance to visit the Richland Area Community Center? It has kindly played host to our PAF meetings, almost since PAF began. It's a beautiful, welcoming meeting spot--but it offers a lot more than that. Check it out! It's at 9400 East CD Avenue, which I think of as the post office road. Stop in sometime and tell the Center's delightful director Faye Koestner that PAF sent you--and let her know of any programs you'd like to see added to its schedule. Here are just a few of RACC's offerings . . .


REGULAR ACTIVITIES


Monday
Bridge, 1:00-3:30 p.m.
WIN (Women in Networking), 6-8 p.m. (3rd Monday)

Tuesday
Richland Community Library Bridge Group
Ladies Non-denominational Bible Study, 5-6 p.m. Facilitator: Gail Hurn

Wednesday
Richland Community Library Euchre Group, 12:30 p.m.

Thursday
Gull Lake Area Rotary Club, 7:30 a.m.
Yoga, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Julie Drabik, Instructor
Book Discussion Group, 9:30-10:30 a.m. (3rd Thursday)
Performing Arts Foundation meeting, 6:30 p.m. (2nd Thursday)

Friday

New Hope and Friends Bible Study, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Sunday
Ballroom Dance with Band, 2-5 p.m. Singles and couples welcome. $7 per person.

The Center is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A pool table, large-screen TV room, and computers (including wireless connection) are also available for community use.



COMING IN SEPTEMBER


Deanna House, Thursday, September 6, 6:30 p.m. “Fall Flavors to Savor.” Tickets in advance $8.00; at the door, $10. Call Faye at 629-9430 for tickets.

Life Line Screening, Saturday, September 8. Pre-registration is required. Call 1-800-324-1851

Jacobson’s Alumni Fashion Show, Monday, September 24, 7 p.m., starring Richland-area “models.” Hors d’oeuvres. Tickets $10. Call Faye at 629-9430 for tickets.

Estate Planning Workshop, Tuesday, September 18, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Richland Area Community Center

9400 East CD Avenue, Richland, MI 49083
269-629-9430

Friday, August 10, 2007

August catch-up

Several items of note:

PAF met last night and approved grants to send one or two high school juniors or seniors to Stratford in October to see King Lear and To Kill a Mockingbird. Also approved: a grant to pay for a class with a Stratford actor. It should be a great experience! Finally, a grant to add to the play library at the high school was approved. Arts teachers, please submit your fall requests to be considered at the next meeting!

Three awesome photos of Ty G., PAC '04, who is a medic stationed in Iraq right now, can be found at viewimages.com by searching on Ty's name (with his last name). Sorry I couldn't find a way to link directly to the photos, but it's well worth the search: There's a very touching photo of Ty bandaging a little girl held in her father's arms. Ty was home briefly in June and is back in Iraq now.

And we'll hope to see you at the tour of the new Gull Lake High School, Sunday, August 12, 5 to 7 p.m., and all the coming week, noon to 8 p.m. . . . and at the Bobbaroo benefit concert on September 8, NOT August 11, starting at 4 p.m. at the State Theatre in Kalamazoo.

And send your news along! We're glad to pass along listings, notices, and general chat.

Monday, August 6, 2007

Meeting August 9 . . . and much more!

You are invited to the regular monthly meeting of the Performing Arts Foundation on Thursday, August 9, at 6:30 p.m. at the Richland Area Community Center on CD Avenue. We'll hear what's coming up artswise this fall and make plans to help with all we can. Arts teachers, parents, alumni, community members, parents of alumni, arts supporters of all stripes--all are welcome to any meeting to offer ideas, ask for help, pitch in on a project, or just hear what's going on!

And now, a change of date, just as our newsletter goes out with the old info:

Saturday, September 8 (not August 11), 4 p.m. onwards, State Theatre, Kalamazoo
Bobbaroo! benefit concert featuring Combat Corduroy and other great bands. See post below--but note the change of date to September 8!

Don't miss this:

Sunday, August 12, 5 - 7 p.m.; and August 13 - 17, noon to 8 p.m.
Tour the new Gull Lake High School building, 7753 North 34th Street, Richland

And a reminder of three ways for you to support arts education in your everyday life:

Sign up for Harding's free eScrip Community Card. Just pick up a card at a Harding's store, phone the number on the car, and voila! Harding's will make a contribution to PAF whenever you shop.

Every time you call Modernistic Carpet Cleaning to clean at your home or office, just mention Gull Lake Community Schools to the operator. Ten per cent of your order will be donated--half to athletics and half to the Performing Arts Foundation. Thank you, Lee and Katie Hitow, for this wonderful gift to our schools!

Finally, if you pay cash at Meijer or use a Meijer credit card, please do sign up for Meijer Community Rewards. It's a little more complicated than it used to be, but PAF can still benefit!