Courthouse Concert Video
read users’ comments(0)
Archive for the 'Events' Category
Mediatech Foundation Announces a Free Holiday Concert in the Historic Flemington Courthouse
The Whitehouse Wind Symphony — a 50 Piece Brass and Woodwind Band — Will Perform in Downtown Flemington
Flemington, NJ November 28, 2011. The 50 member-strong Whitehouse Wind Symphony will perform in the historic Hunterdon County Courthouse on Tuesday night, December 6 at 8 PM [image of group available]. Open seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors open to the public at 7 PM.
The lively concert program will feature popular holiday sing-a-longs; children are welcome to bring sleigh bells to ring.
The band is being brought to Flemington by the Mediatech Foundation, with support from the Flemington Business Improvement District (BID), Flemington Furs, Printech, Software School and Mediatech volunteers. Holiday cookies, tea and cider will be served during intermission.
Said Mediatech Founder Warren Buckleitner, “We’d like to make this an annual event, so we’re looking for sponsors to help underwrite the basic costs. We’d also like to give people an excuse to donate to Mediatech so we can upgrade the computers and expand the hours. Mediatech will sell T-shirts during the event and any donations will be divided evenly between the Symphony and Mediatech. You can make a donation online at www.mediatech.org/donate.
The program will, which is subject to change, is as follows:
A Holiday Rhapsody Arr. Larry MacTaggart
Nutcracker Suite P. Tschaikowsky Arr. Mayhew Lake
Faeries (Mannheim Steamroller) Arr Chip Davis / Robert Longfield
Midnight Sleighride E. Sauter & W. Finegan Arr Tom Wallace
Good Swing Wenceslas Arr Sammy Nestico
A Fireside Christmas Arr Sammy Nestico
The Night Before Christmas (Narrated) Randal Alan Bass
Sleigh Ride Leroy Anderson
Angels From the Realms of Glory Robert W. Smith
Silver Sleigh Caesar Giovannini
Pastime with Good Company Henry VIII Arr Philip Sparke
A Christmas Portrait (with song leader) Arr Jerry Nowak
Christmas Festival (with song leader) Leroy Anderson
Jingle Bells Around the World, Robert. H. Eichlin
ABOUT THE SYMPHONY
The Whitehouse Wind Symphony contains 50 amateur and professional musicians from New Jersey, New York City and Pennsylvania. The Symphony specializes in pieces written or arranged for bands during the first half of the 20th century, widely recognized as the “Golden Era” of concert bands in America. The group was founded by Whitehouse, NJ resident Casey Bork in 1996 and has steadily grown in membership. The Symphony has two CD’s – “Whitehouse Sleighride” and “Not Your Concert In The Park.” CDs may be purchased during the free event to help defray expenses. Visit www.whitehousewindsymphony.org
ABOUT MEDIATECH
Mediatech Foundation was established in March 2001 as a non-profit organization and opened to the public in May 2003. It provides free public access to all forms of digital technology, serving as a working laboratory of how such a model can work in a small public library setting. It was built by volunteers with minimal funds or taxpayer dollars. Mediatech’s motto is “better towns with technology.” Visit http://www.mediatech.org, or see the profile on Mediatech at http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6565678.html.
ABOUT THE HISTORIC COURTHOUSE
If walls could talk, the Hunterdon County Historic Court House would have plenty to say.
Built on the foundation of the 1791 courthouse that was destroyed by fire, the current 1828 building has a very famous jail, constructed from stone from the first building. The jail was used until 1985; the courthouse remained in use until 1996 when a new justice center was opened. The court is best known for “The Trial of the Century” – the famous Lindbergh Case where Bruno Richard Hauptmann was tried and charged with the kidnapping of Colonel Lindbergh’s son in 1932. As you walk up the spiral staircase to the second floor of the Court House you enter the impressive courtroom where the trial was held, and where the concert will take place. In 1997, the building was restored using funds from the New Jersey Historic Trust in 1997, part of $11.5 million granted to 30 historic sites across the state. It is the only site selected in Hunterdon County. Artifacts from the courthouse remain on display, including the witness chair from the Lindbergh Kidnapping trial and hand-carved jury chairs.
Help make this an annual tradition! Donate online using this form.
Tim, one of the Spirit of St. Louis pilots, and his Grandma, who was 10 in 1927 and remembers listening to news of the flight on the radio.
They made it! Here are some links related to the flight:
TWITTER FEED: You can track the flight log using twitter — www.twitter.com/#lindbergh2011
PHOTOS (thanks to Craig Ellison)
https://picasaweb.google.com/craiger953/Mediatech2011OpenHous
MEDIA COVERAGE
Boys simulate Charles Lindbergh’s 33-hour flight across Atlantic Ocean
Published: Sunday, August 07, 2011, 10:10 PM http://bit.ly/nW7Tdw
THE LANDING
The instrument panel is examined by Andrew Vollenberg while Tim Sabbarese looks at a digital map as they prepare to re-create Lindbergh's feat -- the first solo trans-Atlantic flight.
FLEMINGTON — Two young men will attempt to simulate the historic 1927 flight of the Spirit of St. Louis across the Atlantic from Long Island to Paris this weekend. This will be Mediatech’s third annual attempt. The flight has not been successfully accomplished — except by Charles Lindbergh, but he had the fear of non-virtual death to keep him awake and flying. Read the full story….
Save the Date! (August 6-7, 2011)
2011 Spirit of St. Louis Flight Simulation Weekend!
Dixieland Concert • Antique Cars • Historic Movies • Open House!!
At exactly 8:52 AM Saturday, August 6, two young Flemington pilots, Andrew Vollenberg and Tim Sabbarese, will take off in the Spirit of St. Louis, using a powerful flight simulator in an attempt to replicate the famous flight from New York to Paris. You are invited to watch as they work together to complete the 33 hour flight, in the same weather conditions (icing, fog and storms) faced by Charles Lindbergh in 1927. This is the third attempt; no team has been crash free. During the flight, we’ll have an open house that will include a programming demonstration, movies and a Dixieland Band concert.
Why? The flight is one small part part of Mediatech’s mission of “Towns Made Better By Technology,” in this case, celebrating our unique history using a simulator. The flight is part of an open house to show off Mediatech’s growing resources, which include a large circulating video game collection, the new iPad lounge, Wii, PS3 and Kinect stations—created by volunteers and donations, without depending on taxpayer money.
Where? Mediatech, 118 Main St. 2nd Floor in the Flemington Free Public Library, open from noon to 4 PM all summer.
Come Fly the Plane! While the pilots can’t be disturbed, they may let you take the stick for a short time. A backup simulator will be available for your experimentation.
SATURDAY Aug 6
• 8:30 AM Pre-flight interviews
• 8:50 Engines start!
• 8:52 Takeoff, Roosevelt Field, Long Island
• 11:50 Nova Scotia; Ocean ahead! (all times are EST)
COMMUNITY ROOM THEATER
12:00 Movie “Across the Atlantic: Behind the Lindbergh Legend” http://youtu.be/oR1FkSasydM in the community room.
1:00 Movie “The Spirit of St. Louis” with Jimmy Stewart (2 hours)
3:00 SCRATCH Project showcase (projects from the summer SCRATCH class).
• 5:30 PM Main Street Car Show: Hotrods
• 7:00 PM Marshall’s Dixieland Jazz Band Concert (library courtyard, weather permitting)
• 11:00 Mediatech closed to all but chaperones, staff, press and pilots.
SUNDAY Aug 7
• 2:00 AM 1/2 way, open water!
• 9:00 Mediatech opens to public. Fishing boats spotted.
• 9:52 Landfall, Ireland!
• 12:00 England
COMMUNITY ROOM THEATER
12:00 Movie “Across the Atlantic: Behind the Lindbergh Legend” http://youtu.be/oR1FkSasydM in the community room followed by YouTube highlights of vintage reel footage of the takeoff.
• 2:00 France in site (times may vary at this point!)
• 3:22 Landing Le Bourget Aerodrome, Paris, France.
• 4:00 Celebration
On Saturday, August 6, 2011 a new team of pilots will attempt to cross the Atlantic in real time, using a flight simulator and real-world weather conditions. This is the third attempt to cross with no crashes. It has never been done before successfully. The flight takes approximately 33 hours, from take off to landing in France.
Come witness the takoff at exactly 8:53 AM Saturday; the landing and approach is around 2 PM the next day.
Mediatech will have an open house throughout the weekend; the public is encouraged to drop in an try their hand with the airplane, and encourage the pilots.
Here are some video snips from the second attempt.
Mediatech’s Programming Camp for Kids, 2010
See pictures from last year’s session, here.
SESSION 1: August 2-6 (Monday through Friday, 9:30 AM to noon)
SESSION 2: August 9-13 (Monday through Friday, 9:30 AM to noon)
ABOUT THE CAMP: Mediatech’s Programming Camp for Kids is a one-week, morning camp for children aged 6-15 years of age designed to introduce the principles of creating digital content. The objective is to give participants an open-ended environment where they can develop and then apply their digital creativity skills. Enrollment is limited to 14 on a first-come, first-served basis, and no experience is necessary. Participants are asked to come with their own USB flash drive to store work. A $10/day payment is requested, but is not mandatory—this is a suggested donation. The camp curriculum has been designed by Warren Buckleitner, and is will be taught by volunteers with the help of two teenage counselors. Parents are encouraged to visit to observe or help.
Help us tell his story.....
Building on Will Richardson’s FAME idea, Flemington’s Got Stories is an idea to create a local documentary project.
Project Name: FLEMINGTON’S GOT STORIES
Organization Name: Mediatech Foundation
Address: 118 Main Street (2nd Floor) City: Flemington State: NJ Zip Code: 08822
Phone: 908-284-2006
Fax: 908-284-0405
Web site: www.mediatech.org
Project Description: This is an American Idol-like event designed to highlight digital reporting on a local level. In order to enter, residents must apply their digital publishing abilities, either on their own or with the help of the volunteers at Mediatech, a library-based technology center. We will try this in one town (Flemington, NJ, pop. 5000) as a test. The project could be applied to any community; just change the name. If successful, the project can sustain itself with local sponsorships. The stars of this project are found in any town. These are the people you see, but take for granted, like Archie, an 83-year old WWII vet who is well known on our grocery store PA system. When he says “fresh bread, straight out of the oven,” people line up. But nobody knows his last name, what he did in the war or where he lives. Tomas is a bright, 12-year-old refugee from Central Africa, who rides a seatless bike to the library. He has an uncanny ability for mastering the nuances of English and middle school culture. Whenever he sees a dog, he gets sad however; remembered a pet he left behind, and (perhaps) a story waiting to be told. Eleven-year-old Maggie has been called an “illegal” on the street because she her parents are first generation immigrants from Mexico. Few people know that Irma’s mother is the inventor of the famous sauce at a successful restaurant. A cooking documentary could share the recipe.
This project has six parts. (1) Upgrade the technology in an existing library-based technology center with video editing stations and coaches; (2) host free, weekly digital publishing workshops for residents; (3) enhance an existing WordPress blog with embedded video samples; (4) host a public “American Idol” style contest in the summer; (5) award a scholarship to an aspiring journalist, and (6) create a dissemination video so that others can replicate this plan.
6. How will your project improve the way news and information are delivered to geographic communities? By significantly increasing a town’s public access to affordable, powerful digital publishing technologies, and then by giving people a reason to use the technology, we’ll make it possible for any person to apply new digital skills. They may be in front of the camera, or working as a video editor. Or they may simply bring in a box of old photos to be digitized by a young volunteer. The recruiting tool will be your ego. Once you’ve edited and uploaded your first video, or seen a collection of a neighbor’s digital family album set to a symphony, you feel a sense of empowerment, or perhaps see somebody familiar, in a new way.
7. How is your idea innovative? Video harvesting initiatives and community technology centers are not new ideas. But combining the two, with a mix of YouTube, Flickr, Facebook and fresh coffee, plus an “American Idol” style contest to feed your ego, is a new mix. Thanks to Moore’s law, we now have cheaper, better technology to use, including cheap and powerful HD cameras, flat screens, and nearly unlimited storage. The cost vs. power ratio has swung toward the direction of this idea. This is an early attempt to use this recent technology.
Mediatech is the ideal center to host this effort, and it is in need of an annual fundraising effort. Mediatech is a five-year old experiment in our town library that has been cited by Governor Jon S. Corzine for “helping to keep New Jersey at the forefront of scientific and technological innovation” (http://bit.ly/4vsfpn). The open-source Mediatech recipe can be created by any school or library. The concept was initially inspired from a center in Northern Italy; the relationship is explained here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4h8W5bhRyc.
We have proven to ourselves and our own town that we can turn a small investment into a digital oasis by harnessing a common vision and dedicated volunteers. This project — Flemington’s Got Stories is a natural extension the Mediatech’s mission, to create better life with technology.