NHS Seniors to Present 'Surviving Reality'

Class of 2013 puts on a two-act play about a shifty reality television show.

The Norton High School senior class will present the play “Surviving Reality” this week. A comedy by Daniel O’Donnell, “Surviving Reality” is about the owner of a small local television station who decides to make millions of dollars by producing a reality television show. He enlists two families, the once-rich Tuttletons and the hillbilly Hatters, to participate in a series of challenges. The The problem is, he promised the winners $1 million...which he doesn’t have. His solution is to make the challenges near impossible. Will the contestants stick it out, or will they fail? Will the show be a flop? Come by the Norton High School auditorium March 14 and 16 to find out. "It's hard to tell how funny something is going to be just by the …

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Sixteen Area Programs Receive Norton Cultural Council Grant

Recipients honored Thursday.

On Thursday, 16 grant recipients were honored by the Norton Cultural Council. The Council had about 40 grant applications and distributed approximately $4,700 to area supporters of the arts. The group is funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency that supports the arts, humanities and interpretive sciences. The Massachusetts Cultural Council receives an annual appropriation from the state Legislature and funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, Bank of America and more. “Our goal was to cover as broad a range as possible,” said Norton Cultural Council Chair Naomi Viglas. “We also wanted to keep the money as local as possible.” One such local program is the SMARTS Collaborative Summer Artists program. “Having the …

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Norton Seniors Rock Out with the Undead

Class of 2012 to sponsor 'The Dracula Rock Show' this weekend.

Vampires, zombies, unraveling plots and music. That's what you'll get at Norton High School's senior class play, "The Dracula Rock Show" being performed this weekend. Follow Sherlocke Holmes and Dr. Watson as they unravel Professor Moriarty's evil plot and foil Dracula's plans by playing "Friday," by Rebecca Black. Sit back and enjoy the funny musical moments by the Undead Backstreet Boys and surprising talent of Norton High rockers. And then, of course, there are the jokes you just can't miss. All this to support the Class of 2012. "I think it's great because I became a lot closer with a lot of my classmates and I interacted with people that I wouldn't have normally interacted with," said Amanda Sullivan, who plays a narrator. "The show …

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Norton Resident Dances Her Way to the 'Top'

Ashley Robillard featured in New England Conservatory broadcast.

Featuring 17-year-old Ashley Robillard, From the Top will return to its home at New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall this weekend to tape its NPR radio program, a national radio show founded at New England Conservatory. Robillard sings soprano in the show. Now in its 12th year, From the Top celebrates the performances and stories of America’s best pre-college classical musicians through NPR and PBS broadcasts, live concerts, online media and education and community partnerships. Hosted by pianist Christopher O'Riley, this taping occurs before a live audience with a representation of New England Conservatory preparatory students among the participants. This episode will air nationally the week of Nov. 28, and locally on 99.5 All Classical…

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State Awards Cultural Grants to Norton Area Communities

According to Rep. Steven Howitt, state grants totaling $16,830 will go to schools and nonprofit cultural groups in the district.

Representative Steven S. Howitt announced today that grants totaling $16,830 have been awarded to cultural organizations, schools, and communities in his district by the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), according to a press release issued by his office staff. Rep. Howitt said that these grants support a variety of cultural activities that benefit local residents, reads the announcements. The announcement was made as part of a statewide funding program by the MCC. “I’m pleased to announce this new state support for the arts, humanities, and sciences in Massachusetts,” Rep. Howitt said. “MCC grants help to ensure that these rich cultural resources in my district and across the Commonwealth are accessible to our citizens today, and …

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Bishop Feehan Presents 'Anything Goes!'

Local students perform in Cole Porter classic this weekend

You don’t have to travel to New York this season to see the current revival of Cole Porter’s Anything Goes on Broadway.  The Theater Department at Bishop Feehan High School, including students from Norton, is staging the production in Attleboro! Under the direction of Alden Harrison, BFHS is performing its 24th musical, Anything Goes, through April 3.    Many of Porter’s best known hits are featured in this 1930’s musical that tells the classic boy-meets-girl story aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London.  Played by Jay Vita of Mansfield, Billy Crocker is a stowaway who is in love with heiress Hope Harcourt (Meghan Casey, North Attleboro), but she is engaged to Lord Evelyn Oakleigh played by Taylor MacLeod from Norfolk. …

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Patch Picks

Patch Picks: Summer Camps

Camps for kids, and even one for adults.

Last week, Norton Patch's new Patch Picks feature listed local librarians’ choices for kids and adults for National Read Across America Day. This week, we are getting campy. 1. Registrations are open for the 2011 SMARTS Summer Institute. The summer program offers young people, grades kindergarten through 12, with an opportunity to explore their creative potential under the guidance of dynamic professional artists from around the region. Students explore creative writing, dance, drama, film/video, instrumental, vocal and/or visual arts through process and performance. The program runs July 5 to 29. SMARTS also offers two immersion programs for students grades 7 through 12. Music Boot Camp, for instrumentalists includes recording studio time…

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Piano Man

Norton resident's love for the piano transfers to his students.

When Jim Moore, of Norton, started playing piano in the first grade, the cost of a lesson was $1. More than 60 years later, Moore, 73, is still tickling the ivory and is now passing along his experience to new generations of piano players.  Moore began his love for the piano when he lived with his aunt, who took in Moore’s family when his father passed away. His aunt had a grand piano and a closet full of sheet music. Moore immediately took to the piano under his aunt’s guidance and learned how to read music at a very young age.  “In the third grade, I played the organ in music class because the teacher couldn’t play,” Moore recalled. “I played while the kids in the class sang. I caught the fever of playing classical music because I lived …

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First Night schedule

A schedule of activities on Norton High School and Henri A. Yelle Elementary property.

Parking for First Night will be at Wheaton College and Norton Middle School, with shuttles running  5 p.m. until everyone goes home. Henri A. Yelle Elementary 6 p.m.: Pumpernickel Puppets, ages 3 and older 6 p.m.: Kids dance 7 p.m.: Big Ryan, Stories & Music 8 p.m.: Magical Moments Magic Show 9 p.m.: Swords Songs & More. Pirates & Story Time 7 – 9 p.m.: Balloon artist and face painting 7 – 9 p.m.: Superheroes Also in front of Henri A. Yelle Elementary will be the pirate ship, Fun Bus, fire engine and police car. Inside the school you can also purchase First Night souvenirs and watch a slide show. Norton High School 6 – 11 p.m.: Adult dance 6 – 11 p.m.: Norton Has Talent In front of the high school will be a Winslow Farm animal exhibit from…

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