Grammel in final recital

Zachary Grammel, son of Steven and Deborah Grammel of Greencastle, will be performing in his final dance recital at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 16 at Cascade Auditorium.  He is a 2007 graduate of Greencastle High School and has 12 years of training in tap, four years in jazz and two years in ballet.

He will being performing with 61 other students from Dance Arts Academy under the instruction of Deborah Grammel. She has studied in New York, Houston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami, and has taught at DePauw University since 1979. She has instructed preparatory classes for ages 4-23 for more than 19 years. 

Dance Arts Academy, formerly known as Jonie Skaggs Studio, is located in Stilesville.

Spicer earning top reviews

By CASSIE MITCHELL, Banner-Graphic

Greencastle native Zachary Spicer has been getting some rave reviews. Zachary recently landed his first role in the professional New York theatre. He stars as the character Cian in the new comedy “The Irish Play,” performed just three blocks away from Broadway at New York’s Irish Arts Center.

Zachary, a 2001 graduate from Greencastle High School, began studying drama under Victoria Parker and continued his dramatic studies at Indiana University and Brown County Theatre in Nashville, Zachary’s grandfather Harold Spicer told the Banner Graphic.  While doing a play during his last year at IU, Zach was discovered by Circle-in-the-Square, a drama school in New York,” Harold said. Zachary then graduated from IU and has been studying at Circle-in-the-Square for the past year.

To prepare for “The Irish Play,” director and Tony-winner Theodore Mann and producer Holly Villaire personally visited Circle-in-the-Square to hand-pick their cast, Harold said.  “They said, ‘Give us your best male actor,’” he said proudly. “They picked Zach right away.”

“The Irish Play” began as only a two-week long performance, but it has sold out each night and continues to do so. According to the stage company Hamm and Clov’s website, the play will continue at the Irish Arts Center until June 23. But Harold believes the play will continue after that date.  “The play is being taken over by the industry,” Harold said. “That means major producers are taking over and moving the play to a bigger theatre after the original run.” The new theatre will be closer to Broadway.

Reviews of Zachary call him “romantic,” “appealing,” and a “more talented Ethan Hawke type.” One critic raves of Zachary’s talent, “He consistently outshines his role, bringing real intellectual depth and pathos to what could have been an outline sketch.”  Harold told the Banner Graphic the previous performance’s audience consisted of major producers and agents of the drama industry. After the show, apparently two agents approach-ed Zachary and told him he had a bright career in front of him. They also wanted to represent him.

But following this play, Zachary plans to attend Harvard University to study at the exclusive Stanislavsky Moscow Art Theatre. Harold said Zachary did not even need an audition to be accepted.  “The problem is that the show might overlap with when Zach’s supposed to go to Harvard,” Harold said. “He’s faced with a pretty difficult decision.”

Zachary is the son of Sylvia Spicer, formerly of Greencastle. Both she and Parker were at the opening night of “The Irish Play.”  “They were both greatly impressed and said he was really good on that stage,” Harold said. “I’m grateful he’s done so well. I’m so pleased with him and his work ethic.”

“The Irish Play” continues to hit the stage this Wednesday and continues through Sunday night. For more information, visit the Hamm and Clov Stage Company’s website at http://www.hammandclov.org.  On top of acting, Zach’s other achievements include writing two books and producing several video documentaries.  He now resides in Port Angeles, Wash.

 GHS Alumni Association helps fund Ambassadors

Members of the 2007 GHS Ambassadors are as follows: 

Front row, left to right: Kirsten Keck, Savannah Provine, Sponsor Terri Collins GHS '87, Megan Clodfelter, Ashlyn Archer, Kayla Birt, Kenda Christy, Briana Martin

Back row: Emma Kaiser, Laura Weatherford, Tyler Archer, Olivia Miller, Tyler Wade, Andy Weatherford, Evan Staley  Not pictured: Rena Warren

Members of the GHS Alumni Association Board of directors, as well as other GHS alumni contributed funds to cover part of the cost of the blazers and shirts for the newly formed GHS Ambassadors.  The Ambassadors represent the school at various school functions, assisting visitors as official hosts/hostesses of the school

Michael B. Grimes '99 joins Blue Angels

      from The Banner-Graphic, By MATT FOSHEIM, Staff Writer

A local sailor recently received a promotion to the prestigious Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels.

Greencastle native Petty Officer Michael B. Grimes (GHS 1999) reported for duty earlier this week for training and an introduction to the squadron at Naval Air Facility El Centro, California. According to the official Blue Angels website, “The Blue Angels' mission is to enhance Navy and Marine Corps recruiting efforts and to represent the naval service to the United States, its elected leadership and foreign nations.  The Blue Angels serve as positive role models and goodwill ambassadors for the U. S. Navy and Marine Corps,” the website continued.

In California, Grimes will be the lead mechanic for the number one jet. The number one jet is the lead jet and one of two twin passenger F/A-18 Hornets that the Blue Angels flies.  This plane often arrives a few days before an air show in order to give celebrities and other media personnel a chance to ride in the plane for promotional purposes.

Michael's father, Jim, said his son will have chances to be in the jet on flights as well.  “He should have several opportunities to ride in the jet,” Jim told the Banner Graphic.  Petty Officer Grimes will be with the squadron for the next three years as a mechanic.

Petty Officer Grimes has been in the Navy since the spring of 1999 . His other accolades have included 2005 Sailor of the Year at Naval Air Station Pensacola and a Commendation Medal for his sustained superior performance as the Leading Petty Officer for the Funeral Honor Guard Division.

Gosport, the home-based newspaper for the Pensacola, Florida Naval Air Station, said, “During his tour with the Honor Guard, Grimes organized, scheduled and led (more than) 1,800 Military funeral services for the families of the Gulf Coast Region.”   The newspaper reported that Petty Officer Grimes future plans after the Blue Angels “include applying to the Limited Duty Officer Program upon eligibility.”

Dwight Matthews '73 Chairs National Institutes of Health Research Effort

adapted from DePauw University News

Dwight E. Matthews, GHS '69, professor and chair of chemistry and professor of medicine at the University of Vermont and 1973 graduate of DePauw University, has been selected to serve as chair of the Integrative Nutrition and Metabolic Processes Study Section of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Scientific Review, National Institutes of Health. In this prestigious role, Dr. Matthews will have a unique opportunity to contribute to the national biomedical research effort. He was selected on the basis of his achievement in his discipline, scientific research, publications in scientific journals and other accomplishments.

After earning a bachelor's degree in chemistry from DePauw, Matthews received a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from Indiana University in 1977. He conducted research and taught medicine at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis from 1977-86, and he served as an associate professor of biochemistry in medicine and then surgery at Cornell University Medical College in New York City until he joined the University of Vermont in 1996. He was appointed chair of the University of Vermont's chemistry department in 2002, and he was named a University Scholar for 2004-05.

Dr. Matthews' areas of special expertise include analytical chemistry and mass spectrometry, and the application of stable isotope tracers to study human amino acid and protein metabolism. He is director of the Mass Spectrometry Facility in the General Clinical Research Center in the College of Medicine at the University of Vermont. He previously was director of the Mass Spectrometry Facility in and director of the General Clinical Research Center Core Laboratory at Cornell University Medical College.

Dwight Matthews is a member of the American Chemical Society, American Federation for Medical Research, American Physiological Society, American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, American Society for Clinical Nutrition, American Society for Mass Spectrometry, American Society for Nutrition, and American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.