FOLA,
during its fourth year of operation, brought a number of new venues to
the Ludlow Auditorium in 2013.
Some of
the activities sponsored by FOLA during this period included:
·
The
‘regular movie series, showing films that included:
|
§
"Extreme Skiing"
§
"My
Week with Marilyn"
§
"The
Artist"
§
"Hugo"
§
"The
Iron Lady"
§
"Tales
of Hoffmann"
§
"War
Horse"
§
"The
Verdict"
§
"Guys
and Dolls"
§
"Skyfall" |
§
"West
Side Story"
§
"Argo"
§
"Top
Hat"
§
Silent
Movie Festival
§
"Life
of Pi"
§
"Rear
Window"
§
"Les
Misérables"
§
"Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein"
§
"Beasts of the Southern Wild"
§
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" |
·
FOLA 1st
Follies of 2013 (a musical revue)
·
1st
Black River Folk & Blues Fest (4 area bands)
·
“Sky
Blue Boys”, aka Banjo Dan, concert
·
“Hey,
Boo: Harper Lee and to Kill a Mockingbird”, presentation on To Kill a
Mockingbird
·
Health
Care Exchange for Small Businesses, forum on VT health care exchange
·
The
annual Community Christmas Celebration
As part
of its community support goals, FOLA was involved in six collaborations
with other town and area groups:
·
FOLA
co-sponsored a healthcare forum on VT’s healthcare exchange with the
Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce
·
FOLA
sponsored a lecture/discussion on the background to the creation of the
book, “To Kill a Mockingbird”, with the Weston Playhouse
·
FOLA
assisted BRACC in presenting the film “The Hungry Heart”
·
FOLA
assisted the Winter Carnival group in the showing of its extreme skiing
movies
·
FOLA
presented the Movie, “Rear Window”, to support a Friends of the Library
program
·
FOLA
presented a Halloween comedy for area children
In
keeping with FOLA’s purpose to enhance the auditorium and promote its
use for the benefit of the residents of Ludlow and the area, FOLA
purchased a new movie screen which was donated to the Town. The new
screen, twice the size of the original screen, is electronically
controlled so that, when not in use, it is stored, out-of-sight, above
the proscenium arch of the auditorium’s stage. This provides a higher
quality screen image, greater flexibility of use, and eliminates the
need for Town personnel to move the screen off the stage when the stage
is used for other purposes.
The
funding sources for these expenditures in 2013 included:
1.
A Town
Meeting approved article for $2,000
2.
FOLA
Membership and out-right donations from a variety of individuals and
organizations
3.
Donations
at FOLA sponsored events
While
plans for 2014 are still being developed at this time, FOLA plans to
present, in addition to its monthly movies, a new edition of the Black
River Folk and Blues Fest, a second FOLA Follies musical revue, a
candidates’ forum for the forthcoming state elections, the annual
Community Christmas Celebration program, and several other musical
events.
Long
range plans will focus on the purchase of new seating for the
auditorium that will afford greater comfort to the audience, replacing
the current seating, much of which dates back to the 1923 opening of the
Town Hall building.
Officers
for 2013 included: Ralph Pace, Chairman; Anita Alic, Vice-Chair; David
Almond, Treasurer; Janet Pace, Secretary; Bruce Farr, Programming
Director; James Alic, Director; Kevin Kuntz, Director; Mary Jane O’Hara,
Director; Tesha Buss, Director, and Susan McNeeley, Director.
More detailed information on FOLA may be found on
its web site,
www.fola.us.
